Russia's Roscosmos space agency has invented a shield system for protecting satellites from being damaged by flying objects that could smash into them as they hurtle through space.

A patent filed with the Federal Service for Intellectual Property (Rospatent) shows that the two-layer shield, made from aluminum plates, is covered in numerous staggered conical 'spikes,' which are coated with a hard alloy. The spaces between the cones are filled in with carbon-fiber-reinforced carbon, a composite material used to build spacecraft and missile noses.

The armor is designed to break objects into smaller fragments which would then be pushed in different directions, hitting the cone-shaped base of the protective shield as the force of the object diminishes. The patent specification notes that the system should be 10 percent lighter than a flat shield.

Satellites and spacecraft currently use a variety of anti-meteorite shields to protect against space debris such as rocks and other "space junk".

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